Reilly hires another €164k expert

James Reilly, the health minister, has been accused of hypocrisy after appointing yet another expert on a €164,000-a-year contract to tackle the waiting list and trolley count crisis.

Lis Nixon has been appointed to the department’s special delivery unit, an €85m-funded group which, before her arrival, already had 16 staff tasked with similar functions.

Despite opposition parties claiming her salary breaches the €92,000-a-year Government adviser pay cap, Dr Reilly’s spokesman insisted the role was an “executive function” and as such means the rate was irrelevant.